Frequently asked questions

Bookings

Is Friday the only start date for holidays?During school summer holidays we have a fixed Friday changeover day (with the exception of Amity, The Chapel, The Hideaway and The Loft). Outside of school holidays we offer a Monday, Tuesday and Friday check in as part of a short break booking.

Do you do short breaks?Over the school holidays our bookings are for a full week from Friday to Friday. The only exception to this is 'Amity' and ‘The Chapel’ which can be rented for short breaks from Friday to Monday and Monday to Friday. Outside of school holidays all of our apartments can be rented for either weekend, long weekend or mid week breaks.

What is the arrival and departure time?Your apartment will be ready for you by 4pm on your day of arrival. We would kindly request that you do not arrive earlier than this. Departure time is by 10am (with the exception of weekend bookings when check out is by 6pm on Sunday or 12pm on a bank holiday Monday).

What is the latest arrival time?Each apartment has a key box where you can pick up the keys for your apartment. It is therefore possible to arrive later in the evening and settle yourselves into your apartment. If you arrive late we would ask you to be aware of the noise impact on other guests.

Is it possible to be provided with a cot and high chair?Yes, we can provide these without charge. Please indicate when booking.

Facilities

Are towels provided?Yes, a bath towel and hand towel is provided for each guest along with tea towels in the kitchen. Please bring your own beach towels.

Is there a hairdryer in the apartment?Yes.

What about laundry facilities at the Manor?There is a laundry next to the games room that happens to have the best view anywhere at the Manor! The laundry has 2 washing machines and 1 tumble dryer for wet days. There are 3 washing lines with plenty of pegs just outside the door. You can buy washing tablets in the honesty shop onsite. There is also an iron and ironing board in each apartment.

What basics are provided within the apartment?On arrival you will be welcomed with wine, a tin of something yummy, a jug of milk, and a starter jar of tea/coffee/sugar to refresh after your journey. We do recommend picking up milk,bread,tea etc on your way as the local shop closes around 6pm. Also within your apartment you will find: tea towels and oven gloves, washing up liquid, cloth and scourer sponge, 2 dishwasher tablets, a bin bag for each bin, hand soap, and 1 toilet roll for each toilet. We sell extra toilet rolls, dishwasher tablets, laundry washing tablets and bin bags in our honesty shop.

How reliable is the wifi?We are pleased to announce that we have recently installed a fibre optic connection to give you the best and fastest connection to the Internet.

Do you accept dogs?We welcome up to two well behaved dogs in apartments Amity and Grace, whether these are part of a group booking or when booked separately. We ask that -

Dogs must always be kept on leads within the grounds and please keep them off the lawns.

Owner to clean up after your dog - poo bags are provided. Please only dispose of these in the recycling area.

Dogs must not be left unattended in the apartments.

Please keep your pets off the furniture and beds.

Is there food available on site?No, Pickwell Manor offers self catered accommodation only. There are lots of good local shops, restaurants and pubs though! Do take a look at the 'your stay' section which has a link to a catering company who offer a 'lay and leave' service.

Can we order a shop to arrive on site?Whilst we encourage our guests to make the most of the local shops, we realise that many will want an online shop to be delivered. Currently Sainsburys, Tescos and Asda deliver to the Manor. We ask that you book the delivery for a time slot after your expected arrival time.

Are there places we can eat outside?Yes, there are some great spots in the grounds for picnics and for seated eating and drinking. The terrace next to the Italian garden has the most beautiful sea view.

Is there somewhere we can have a BBQ?Yes, there is a decked area in the woods with a large BBQ and seating that you can use. Please bring your own charcoal. There are BBQ tools in the useful things cupboard to borrow.

Are we able to have a fire onsite?Yes, there is a designated area with a fire pit in the woods. You can forage for the kindling and wood but don’t forget to bring the marshmallows!

Is there a swimming pool on site?No, we do not have a swimming pool but there are pools in both Croyde and Woolacombe.

What games facilities are there on site?We have an indoor games room with table tennis and table football. Outside there is a tennis court, croquet lawn, football goals and giant chess set. Some tennis rackets and balls are available but you may wish to bring your own. There are also a range of nature games and activities around the grounds.

Is there somewhere to store bikes or surfboards?Yes, we have a dedicated bike, surfboard and wetsuit storeroom. There is also an outside shower next to the storeroom where you can rinse off your wetsuit. Please bring your own bike lock if wishing to store your bike in the storeroom.

Is it worth us bringing our bikes?The immediate area around Pickwell Manor is hilly and has some narrow single-track roads. This can make cycling difficult and potentially dangerous with young children. Further afield the Tarka trail around the estuary from Braunton to Bideford and beyond via Barnstaple is a flat cycle path and is a good day out. For the more serious road biker, we are situated near Exmoor which provides some exceptionally beautiful and challenging biking opportunities. Nearer to home there are plenty of excellent mountain bike routes and road cycling opportunities.

We have two good quality electric bikes available to hire for £15 per day each.

nearby

Where is the nearest shop?Our nearest shop is the village shop in Georgeham. It is less than a mile away and will take you 15 minutes to walk. The nearest supermarket is in Braunton, which is 4 miles away.

Where is the nearest pub?Our local village of Georgeham has what are, in our opinion, the best food pubs in the area. Both The Rock Inn and The Kings Arms have extensive food menus and are very popular so booking in advance is recommended. They are both easily walkable, which is handy!

What is your nearest beach?Putsborough is our nearest beach – this is one end of a two mile stretch of beach and sand dunes that connects to Woolacombe. It is just three fields away as the crow flies, however the footpath is a little more and will take around 25 minutes to walk down and a little longer to walk back up! The walk is well worth the effort as it provides the best panoramic views in the area. Alternatively you can drive to Putsborough (1 mile) and there is also Croyde beach (2 miles), Woolacombe beach (3 miles) and Saunton Sands (4 miles).

Is there anywhere you would recommend for surf lessons?There are numerous surf schools operating on the local beaches. We have found Croyde Surf Academy to be particularly good with children. They operate from a bus in a car park at Down End in Croyde (this is the Saunton end of the beach).

What other water sports can we try?There is a wide range of other water sports to try such as coasteering, kayaking, Sup-ing (Stand Up Paddleboarding) and rafting. We wholeheartedly recommend checking out Active Escapefor some exciting water-based fun!

Is there somewhere where we can hire surfboards and wetsuits?All the surf beaches have a range of outlets where you can hire boards and wetsuits.